High voltage switch



Dec. 29, 1931. Wl R, HxUTTlNGER 1,839,101

HIGH VOLTAGE SWITCH Filed May 15, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 v ,Ji

Dec. 29, 1931. w. R. HUTTINGER HI-GH VOLTAGE SWITCH Filed May 15, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet Y Patented Dec. 29, V1931 `Y UN'ITEDAS'TTES WILLIAM n. "-HUTTINGEB, .fo-F 1,111L131511.121'1'111, PENNSYLVANIA ffmenvonrraen swrmcn i Application ,led May 1,5,

I have inventedan improvement electric switches, andparticularlyan electrlc switch for use withv high voltageinstallations, such as `transmission lines l electrical 'devices associated therewith. U A f e An objectof the invention is to rovldea switch designed f orsuccessful an eiicl'ent operation at the highestivoltagesnow trans-` Another v, obj ectj ofthe'invention isi to pros vide an electric switch having stationary parts enclosed in a suitable VVhousing, and a.

Y cooperating movable member so supported as to beshiftable bodilyto move itsextremlty l5 into and out `or the housing through anV apertureinfthe wallthereof, to engageand dis'- engage onev or more of said fixed parts as the circuit in which theswitch'is placed is to be closed orv opened; said member `also being 29 mounted s'o `that it can be swung on. a pivot v to carry 'it away romthe hmzising` to` full openposition. n v 5 A further objectv of the invention is to'provide a switch thatfislof 4light but strong construction, and lcertain and reliable` in operation under all practical conditions,A

" With these and'otherjobjects andi advantages, in view, as Awillappearin the descrip'- tion thatfollows the linventioniconsists 30 the 'novel features and combinations o'fpar-ts that'are `herein setforthfand defined inthe appended claims. But I do not desireto be restricted toV the exact details of construction that are actuallyillustratedherein tand I reservethe right to Vmake` changes inv shape,

size, arrangement of ,the various elements and other details, which within theprinciple ofthe inventionand do not exceed its scope.

i On thel drawings:.

Figure l isa top plan of ing to my invention; Y, H

Figure ZisV a side elevationfthereof; ,and

f Figure 3 is asimilar view of aportioii and the lswitch showing how theV movable member thereof lis mounted andactuatedf Y e On the drawings, the same numerals .ide'nftify the same parts throughout.' l

The switch of this application is in a measure similar to that covered by my Patent 40 "a .switch accord- No. 1,685,087, granted sept. V1e, 1928, dis-,

' the latter.

192e. j p seriali no. 363,388.

closing a movable switch arm cooperating with one `or more vix'ed contacts in av suitable housing, which encloses and protects Themain switch arm of that patent carries at: one end a pivotedfel'ement that is actuated to enter thehousing and engage the contacts when said membercarries said element into proper position. The operation of this element, however, requires va long'movable rod or the like on :the switch member, and the element and' other `parts of the' switch Amust;i:'urther be 4accurately mounted so that said element willinfallibly pass'fthroughthe entrance to the ,housing to the interior'thereof. Thus the l,number of parts is enlarged and the cost of manufacture increased; As switches ofthis 'type' areV e intended for use in the open air, and as"l the conductors which the lswitch is to 'connect and-disconnectare always placed some dis- 70 tance apart, necessitating a movable switch member OLE-considerable length to open and close the circuit, itis important not onlythat the `fixed parts be well encased Aand screened, but also that Vthe yswitch shallem'bracewas 75 few parts as possible, with said partsarranged so that, when the movable member is operated, thepenetration ofthe housing and Y the Vengagement of Vthe, fixed contacts `is insured. `These objects are gained in the practice ofLthis "invention, by causing the end of the main switch-member to enterthe housing and make contact directly withthe `fixed parts, andby mounting this member `so Yith'at it can be first swung on a pivot into 85 alignmentwith the entrance to the housing and'the'n' shifted longitudinally to impelits end into the housing as far as necessary.

The vmovable switch member is thus made `of one piece, rigid from end `to `end,and "car- 0 riesnno movable elements liable to become loose" with wear, orotherwise'get out of order orfunction'in a defective manner.` .Y

In the particulardescrliption of thedrawings, I use the numeral l to indicate the mov-` able' arm or member'of the switch which is "of some lengthandmol'lntedso that'it can `both rotate aboutan` axis at one end to lift itgand be shifted-bodily in a longitudinal direction, to Kcarry its free extremity into a housing 2 containing one or more fixed contacts 3, to be engaged by the end of the switch arm 1 when the circuit containing the switch is tok be closed. The member may be constructed in any suitable manner and be tapered from the end which is mounted toward the opposite or free end to the required extent. It can be conveniently made of sections of tubing of successively smaller diameters and lengths. It carries one of the hightension conductors 4, which runs along the arm 1 and is attached to the extremity which enters the housing 2. The entire'structure of the switch is mounted upon a suitable support in the form of a horizontal beam 5, upon which rest the insulating column 6 .carrying the housing 3 and other insulating columns 7 and 8 which mount the parts-for supporting and operating the member 1. The co1- umn 7 is usually rotatable and the column 8 fixed; and Ythese columns 6, 7' and 8 may be of any suitable construction or, material. Further, the beam 5 may be secured 'to one of the towers of the transmission line or carried by any-suitable part of the framework at the end of the transmission line; where the voltage of the line is stepped down and distributed to points where it is con` sumed. The insulating columns 6, 7 and 8 may rest at their bases on foot plates 9 at.- tached to the top of the beam 5.

On the upper end of the insulating column 8 is a casting 10 comprising a casing 11 in the ends of which are bearings for a rshaft 12. The extremities of this shaft project from the opposite ends of the casing 11 and carry iixed crank arms 13. Theadjacent extremity of the member 1 is shaped'to provide a yoke 14, the arms of which extend 'laterally from the member in an upward direction and are secured to the ends of the cranks. 13 by pins 15. Obviously, with this construction, when the arm 1 is inthe position shown in broken lines on Fig. 3, the turning ofthe shaft 12 will raise or lower the member 1'; but if the member 1 is elevated and is then dropped to a horizontal position, further movement Aof the arms 13 will cause length'- wise movement only-of the switch member 1. If the shaft 12 is now rotated in the reverse direction, the member 1 will first bepulled back until the arms 14 reach the ends ofthe shaft 12 and then the member 1 can be lifted. Thus the free extremity of the switch arm can be withdrawn from the housing 2 and the member 1 swung upward'. The extremity of the member 1 carrying the yoke 14 has projections 16 which engage Abeneath the ends of the shaft 12 during the lifting or lowering movement of the'member 1.

The casing` l1 has a hollow projection 1.7 in which is a worm 18. This worm engages a gear-wheel 19, fixed to the shaft 12 in theucasing 11, both the worm and the gear wheel 19 being shown in broken lines in Fig. 3. The

turned, it will act through the gears 23, 22 and 21to rotate the'column7. At 25 is indicated a -suitable U-shaped bearing attached to the bottom of the beam 5, the end of this bearing being presented tothe observer and being vertical and the arms thereof extendingr away from thel observer and being horizontal to mount gears 21 22 and 23; one of the horizontal arms of thisbearing being secured to the bottomof the beam 5. The gear 21 is of course rigid with the lower end of the column 7, .and the manner in which this column is rotatably mounted on the beam 5 is well known and need not be vfurther described. The beam 5 may consist of two separate parallel members, :and the plate 9 at the lower end ofthecolumn 7 may support a suitable thrust bearing for the column 7 and through this bearing the connection between the column and the gear 21 extends.

The .casing l() is kprovided with arms 26 to the lower ends of which is attached a ringl 27 encircling the tops of the insulators 7 and 8. A similar ring 28 encircles the top of the insulating column 6 and is supported by similar arms 27 from the casting 29 which comprises the housing3. This housing is closed on the top, bottom and sides and at one end, but at the opposite end` it has an opening to give entrance to the extremity 30 of the switch member 1. The casing 29 also carries a guide 31 in front of the aperture leading to the exterior of the housing 3, theguide being in the form of an upright projection with a notch opening upward so that `when the member 1 drops, this extremity 30 first` engages the notch of this guide to align the member l with the opening in the housing 2. Then on the longitudinal `movement of the arm 1, the extremity 30 slides easily and surely into the housing andv lmakes contact with the fixed partsV indicated at 3 therein. These fixed parts are, of course, connected to the opposite sideof the circuit of the switch and the conductor 4 may be secured-at points along the length of the switch arm 1 by supporting elements 32. i i

When `the switch is open, the arm 1, yoke 14 and crank arms-13 will occupy the positionshown in dot-and-dash lines on Fig. 3, with the projections 16 engaging the ends of the shaft 12. The lower end of the shaft 24 will be secured against movement until the closing of the switch. is necessary, and then movement of this shaft will be transmitted to thevgears 23,22 and 2l to turn the column 7 and shaft 20 and the gearing 18 and 19 in the casing 11 to operate the shaft 12 and lower the member 1, the arms 13 and 14 now `moving as a unit." When, however, the ex- 5 tremity 30 of the arm 1 has dropped into the notch of the guide 31, further rotation of the crank arms 13 will shift the member 1 away from thefshaft 12 and force'the extremity 30 into the housing 2. To open the switch, the shaft 12 is caused to move in the opposite direction; whereupon the arms 13 first pull upon the arms 14 of the member 1 to draw the end 3() out of the housing 2. 'This longitudinal shifting of the member 1 continues until the ends of the shaft -12 make contact with the arms 14.; and the member 1 will then be supported at one endv by connectionv with the crank arms 13 and at its other end by the guide 31, with the extremity 30 of member 1 clear of the housing 2. Further rotation of the shaft 12 now lifts the member 1 as indicated in Fig. 3.

The member 1 is thus not only securely 'mounted and certain in operation but also requires no movable parts to be disposed upon it. The closing of the circuit is assured and the housing 2 can be made in one piece.

The housing 2 will be sufficient to screen the parts 3 to the extent required. The switch can be made of necessary size and strength and as it involves the smallest possible` number of parts, the cost of manufacture can be kept within the desired limits.

Further the switch, according to this invent-ion, is especially adapted for use upon transmission lines operating at very high voltages; and will operate with the greatest efficiency, both at opening and closing, reducing sparking to the minimum and thus avoiding damage to the switch. When the switch is closed, the extremity 30 is thrust into engagement with the fixed parts 3 quick} ly and when the switch is opened, parts 3 and 30 are separated in the same manner.

will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art.

I claim:

1. A switch compirsing a member having an arm extending laterally from one end, a shaft, an arm fixed to said shaft and pinned to the outer end of the first arm, and a projection extending from the opposite end of the first arm to engage said shaft so that said member can be both raised and lowered about said shaft as an axis and then shifted bodily away from said shaft.

2. A switch comprisinga member having laterally with respect to said member, a shaft, fixed arms mounted upon the shaft and pinned to the outer ends of the arms of said yoke. and projections carried by said voke at the opposite ends of the arms thereif of to engage the shaft when the arms on The advantage of such a mode of operation said shaft and the arms on said yoke are substantially in coinciding relation, so that rotation of the shaft may both rotate said member about said shaft as an axis to raise and lower the member, and to shift said member longitudinally away from said shaft.

3. A switch comprising a casting, an insulating column for said casting, the latter comprising a housing, fixed contact parts in the housing, the casting also comprising an upright guide having a notch therein open at its upper end adjacent the housing vand said fixed parts therein, a switch member, one extremity of which is shaped to be received in said guide and to be thrust into the housing to engage said fixed parts, a casting and insulating supports therefor at the opyoke at their outer ends, and projections at the opposite ends of the arms of said yoke to engage said shaft to permit said member to be raised and lowered and shifted longitudinally to force the first-named extremity intokand out of the housing.

`WILLIAM R. HUTTINGER.

at one end a yoke, the arms of which extend Y 

